Stephen Lawrence Prize

Stephen Lawrence Prize 2018 winner: Old Shed New House

Old Shed New House, the radical transformation of a farm shed into a sustainable new home designed by Tonkin Liu Architects, has won the 2018 Stephen Lawrence Prize.

The Stephen Lawrence Prize aims to encourage new, experimental architectural talent, celebrating and rewarding projects with a construction budget of less than £1 million.

First awarded in 1998 in memory of Stephen Lawrence, who was taking steps to become an architect before his untimely death in 1993, the £5,000 Prize has been sponsored by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation since its inception.

After several years looking for a tranquil site in a rural setting for their retirement property, the homeowners settled on a disused agricultural shed in North Yorkshire and worked with their son, Greg Storrar, as the project architect. The farm shed has been dramatically remodelled into an exquisitely detailed, highly sustainable and cost-effective home.

The modest 3-bedroomed property, includes a vast library space at its heart - housing a lifetime’s collection of books - and uses traditional construction techniques and low-cost materials throughout.